[Zeroheight]

I bought my 2018 540i used with 30K miles on it and previous owner has gotten the maintenance warranty that will expire at 3yrs or 36K miles. It currently has roughly 34K miles on it. Spoke to the dealer and they say it would be about $4,100 to get the extended maintenance warranty which would give extra 5 years with 100K miles. It will cover brakes, rotors, spark plugs, and oil changes. So the question is do you guys think it's worth spending money for it?

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by Zeroheight

I bought my 2018 540i used with 30K miles on it and previous owner has gotten the maintenance warranty that will expire at 3yrs or 36K miles. It currently has roughly 34K miles on it. Spoke to the dealer and they say it would be about $4,100 to get the extended maintenance warranty which would give extra 5 years with 100K miles. It will cover brakes, rotors, spark plugs, and oil changes. So the question is do you guys think it's worth spending money for it?

No. At best you are prepaying which gives the dealership the time value of money...your money.

[Pierre Louis]

The real convenience is having access to a loaner as well as "genuine BMW parts." I have a private mechanic that does better on parts, service, availability, responsiveness, and offers "classic used" loaners.... Dealers go to him when they can't solve a problem and he has access to a bunch of German car "gurus" if necessary. Cost is not that far from a dealer though, so I do my own oil changes, fuel filter, cabin filter, DEF and other fluids, and engine air filter.

Another advantage of not getting the service contract is you get to choose what should be done like a transmission fluid/filter and differential fluid change at, say, 80,000 miles, which the BMW service contract likely doesn't cover.

[jjscsix]

Always remember that both the warranty company and the dealer makes a profit on them. They know that the odds are your service will not cost that much.

[LogicalApex]

I know this can feel like semantics, but people will mix them up since you put warranty and maintenance in the title.

BMW offers their version of Prepaid Maintenance for up to 7y/125K miles (a maximum of 12 oil changes and related services). This is not a warranty in any respect. The value on this will be determined by prices in your market for dealer services. But it will only cover maintenance as listed in Condition Based Service and your service manual. Depending on how long you will own the car and if you prefer dealer services as well as prices for service in your home market will make this worth it or not.

I am considering picking it up as I prefer dealer service to simplify warranty stuff and since I'll own the car a minimum of 5 years, but likely 7, it can cover some bigger ticket items like Spark Plugs and Brakes. On my Mercedes I opted out of pre-paying for maintenance and noticed the prices at the dealer climbed as the car aged. But, obviously, you don't have to go to a dealer.

The safest choice here is likely to price out the service costs at your dealer then see what discount, if any, the prepaid maintenance affords you. As the "value" will vary a lot from one owner to the next.

BMW also offers an extended warranty in 3 tiers and for various terms. The value on this can be a bit of a gamble. Unlike prepaid maintenance a warranty may never be needed as the car may not have warrantied failures during the validity term. Since you can buy this at any time while your car is under warranty it is usually better to wait this one out some and then you can make an educated guess as you'll have the cars existing warranty history as a guide.

[bimmer_335]

you don't need prepaid maintenance... save $4100

[LuvMyE92]

You're not saving anything by pre-paying. And what happens if you decide to sell the car before the warranty is up, or it gets destroyed in an accident? You don't get the unused money back.

I DIY everything that I can. Oil changes, brakes, etc. These cars are easy to work on. You will absolutely not void your warranty by doing it yourself.

[Zeroheight]

Thank you all for your input and will definitely save the $4100!

[beanbaguk]

The complete package is a total con, which I believe is the one you are referring to.

However the standard maintenance package (all servicing minus brake discs, pads and the like), is very much worth the money if you do high mileage.

I worked it out before, but you save about 40% on the usual costs. I get quite a sizable discount too as I'm on my third car from the dealership (two currently there), plus the head of servicing is a friend of mine.

[beanbaguk]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

You're not saving anything by pre-paying. And what happens if you decide to sell the car before the warranty is up, or it gets destroyed in an accident? You don't get the unused money back.

I DIY everything that I can. Oil changes, brakes, etc. These cars are easy to work on. You will absolutely not void your warranty by doing it yourself.

Agree you won't void your warranty, but you will depreciate your car value (at least in Europe).

People will not buy DIY serviced cars in this premium range. A banger like an old classic or cheap car is one thing, but a premium car like a BMW, Merc, Audi, etc...you will knock 1,000's off the value if you don't have a dealer service record.

What you save on servicing, you'll just lose in value (and probably more)....I wouldn't go near a DIY serviced car like a BMW.

[claykin]

The maintenance upgrade you're referring to is called ultimate care + 3. Is it worth it? First, the retail price for 6/100K is $3399. For 7/125K is $4499. See link below.

Here's my take. Yes, it's expensive but so is the cost of the covered maintenance over the term. BMW claims savings is as much as 30% over paying at dealer for same maintenance. I suppose that's true if you run the mileage close to its limits during the term. All of this assumes you prefer to use the dealer for service and wish to follow the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule. On the other hand, if you're OK using private garages, I suspect you'll be able to do better than the cost of prepaid maintenance.

https://bmwusaservice.com/ultimatecare

[hlothery]

If this was a good deal for you (therefore, the dealer is getting the shaft) why would the dealer be pushing it so hard? These are never good deals for you. It's just like Vegas....you're betting against the house. Guess who wins? I never buy extended warranties on anything.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by hlothery

If this was a good deal for you (therefore, the dealer is getting the shaft) why would the dealer be pushing it so hard? These are never good deals for you. It's just like Vegas....you're betting against the house. Guess who wins? I never buy extended warranties on anything.

The dealer makes money twice on the deal. First they make some money selling the product and then they make recurring money when you use it. In the case of Ultimate Care they may make less than they can selling to you directly, but they get a guaranteed customer coming back into their doors while the plan is in effect and they don't have to lose a customer to an indy shop.

And since the plan is paid out by BMW NA the dealer isn't on the hook for the money that's getting paid out.